Screenwriting : Question about important people in a scrip by Sille Larsen

Hi, Sille Larsen. Screenwriters might write a character out of a script/teleplay because he/she thinks it benefits the story. Directors, producers, studios, etc. might write a character out of a movie/show because an actor leaves/gets fired/maybe other reasons.

In my experience, outside of the predetermined story, it's been actor availability. I've also had the reverse be true - the actor's performance was so liked that the character was NOT killed off and I actually had to write them into additional episodes. Both can be interesting it forces the writer to think on their feet.

I think sometime characters are killed so the audience knows it is a real possibility. I wouldn’t kill someone unless the audience really really loved them. Then the death has meaning and everyone secretly hates me… job done.

There was this action show I was fond of as a kid...the main actor supposedly played Russian roulette and lost...he was replaced by another one, but his character had to be "killed off" because fans were such attached to have this guy playing it...

Another reason happening more often is actors having dispute with the studio or having to break engagement of various reasons...subsequently their characters get "killed" or "disappear" from the show...

Stories are supposed to represent life. Death is one of the few certainties we have.

As Jeffrey says, a lot of the time it is actor availability. Some actors simply want to move on, so they are written out and death is usually a lot more dramatic than a cheery farewell and riding off into the sunset.

But when it's not the actor's choice to leave, there are a number of reasons the showrunners might decide to kill off a major character.

- The show is becoming stale. Often shows are able to avoid becoming stale by introducing new characters or villains, but there are times when the stability of the leads is the problem because the dynamic between them is too solidified. An easy, but often risky, strategy is to simply kill off a lead and upset that dynamic. This can backfire horribly, but sometimes it is the shot in the arm the show needs.

- The showrunners want to strip away plot armour. The heroes always triumph and survive no matter the odds. It's a staple of storytelling. We believe the hero will triumph in the end. But after several seasons, that creates a sense that there are no real stakes to the show. If the heroes are going to triumph, regardless, and the most we're going to lose is some peripheral character then audiences will lose interest. One way to reintroduce stakes is to show that nobody is safe. You can do that by killing off a main character.

- The writers have run out of ideas for a character. This often occurs where a character is introduced in a major role but due to audience reaction, the role in the story they were due to occupy isn't going over well, so they need to change course. But when your plans for a character have to be completely revised, it can lead to a situation where you're just going from one season to the next desperately scrambling for something for that character to do. Sometimes it's just easier to kill them off.

- The character was a breakout character who has lost their shine. Some characters are only intended to appear in a single episode, sometimes even a single scene, but due to the reception they're brought back and eventually get promoted to series regular. But some of these breakout characters don't last. It turns out they were better in small doses. As a result, they may meet the headsman's axe when the showrunners realise that it's just not working.

As the writer, it's your choice within the bounds of your script. If is goes into production - as a serial or FL - then it has a lot to do with all sorts of external matters (contracts, prior commitments, Actors situations...).

Killing an interesting or a likeable character has many reasons;

1. To use the death of that character to move your story forward...

--- Either to make your villain more hateful, or To force your protagonist to his/her senses on a specific goal--- And gets a reason and the urge to accomplish the goal of the story.

I can only give one here... The Gurus of the scraft will add many